Outdoors column: Making a place for N.C.'s favorite duck

Wednesday

Jan 25, 2017 at 2:39 PMJan 25, 2017 at 2:41 PM

Ed Wall, Special to the Sun Journal

The canoe slid downstream in the hazy, half-light of early morning, moving just a little faster than the sweet gum leaves that drifted on the creek’s still, dark surface. The only sounds were an occasional, almost indiscernible “woosh” from the boat’s stern and the chattering of gray squirrels beginning to stir on the wooded shoreline. A camo-clad hunter sat hunched over in the bow, a well-worn pump shotgun in his grip, perfectly still except for eyes that swept the water ahead. His partner in the rear, an old hand at this sort of thing, kept the canoe close to the shore, staying to the inside of the stream’s many bends wherever possible, only lifting his paddle from the water where extra leverage was needed. There was no talking, no banging of the aluminum hull, no need to give directions.

Suddenly, as the boat slid past a brushy outcrop on the bank, the water erupted and two forms exploded skyward with a frantic “too-wheet, too-wheet.” The hunter in the front mounted and swung his gun with a motion honed over decades of practice, the weapon roared, and one of the escaping forms cartwheeled into the creek with a splash. A second shot was not necessary. The canoe turned toward the floating form and, in a few moments, the hunter in the bow reached over the side and retrieved his quarry.

It was a wood duck drake. Cradling it in this hand, the man admired the beautiful bird; its iridescent green head, blue/black wings, russet breast and red-rimmed eyes a striking contrast to the grays and browns of the winter landscape. No matter how many he had held over the years, the man viewed each one as a trophy.

Others agree with him. In the minds of many, the wood duck is one of the most beautiful and sporting birds in North America. To North Carolina sportsmen, there’s no question it’s our most popular waterfowl. According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) data, hunters in this state bagged over 117,000 wood ducks during the 2014 season, more than any other species by far, over three times the number of green-winged teal or mallards who were number two and three respectively. USFWS surveys also indicate that wood duck populations here and in other portions of the Atlantic and Mississippi flyways are healthy and, in many cases, growing.

It hasn’t always been that way. Wood ducks were plentiful on this continent when the first European settlers arrived but, by the early 1900s, extinction of the flamboyant birds seemed imminent. Destruction of wooded wetlands – the birds’ primary breeding and wintering habitat – and uncontrolled market hunting led to the species’ decline.

In 1918, hunting wood ducks was prohibited by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. That, plus the fact that some areas of lowland habitat throughout their range proved too difficult for developers to destroy, helped the birds make a comeback. By 1941 carefully controlled hunting seasons were reopened in some areas although most states did not allow legal hunting of wood ducks until 1959.

Wildlife management specialists at every level, with the support of sportsmen, continue to monitor wood ducks carefully and limit their harvest. (The daily bag limit in North Carolina has been no more than 3 wood ducks for a number of seasons.) A conservative approach is necessary because biologists can’t use some of their regular methods such as aerial surveys to gauge the size of wood duck flocks on the breeding grounds. That’s because wood ducks are cavity nesters; they raise their broods in holes in trees.

But that also presents an opportunity for wildlife enthusiasts to give wood ducks a helping hand. In some areas, the number of cavity trees is declining for various reasons. In some cases it is because of the aging of wetland forests while in others it has to do with large-scale timbering. In any case, individuals can make a big difference by building, erecting and maintaining wood duck nesting boxes.

A “duck box” is essentially a wooden enclosure about two feet tall by ten inches wide. (Think of a big bird house with certain refinements.) It was determined as far back as the 1930s that wood ducks would nest in such structures if they were available and monitored correctly.

According to waterfowl researchers, “It has been estimated that 300,000 wood duck nest boxes produce about 100,000 ducklings annually in North America. Basically, wood ducks need a cavity in which to nest, and an adjacent (1-3 mi.) wetland habitat that contains some trees, shrubs, or dense herbaceous vegetation that provides quantities of aquatic insects for ducklings.” In other words, they need the kind of naturally-occurring, beaver-enhanced habitat that is found in much of eastern North Carolina.

Wood duck boxes can be built out of any non-treated wood like pine but cypress or juniper work best. Their construction is simple, requiring only basic hand tools and minimal skills. Plans are readily available on the Internet (search “wood duck boxes”), or from groups like Ducks Unlimited or the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Ready-made boxes can also be bought from some local sources like the Carteret County Wildlife Club (252-447-4061).

While wood duck boxes are easy to construct, their value to the critters that use them depends on a few mandatory features. One is the inside of the box leading up to the hole must have a rough texture (scribed grooves or hardware cloth) so ducklings can get a toe-hold when they get ready to exit. Also, a predator guard will guarantee that eggs and little ducks won’t just turn into a smorgasbord for raccoons or snakes. In addition, boxes need to be emptied of old nesting material and/or unhatched eggs before the next nesting season or they won’t be reused.

Other than that, wood duck boxes don’t take much money or effort. And the rewards can be immense – both for the builder and the inhabitants.

For information about “When the Bobber Jiggles” by Ed Wall, log onto edwalloutdoors.com or contact the author at 252-671-3207 or edwall@embarqmail.com

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